Licensure Requirements

For Undergraduates

Undergraduates can pursue a bachelor’s degree through a state-approved teacher preparation program that includes all the pedagogical and content area classes necessary for licensure. They must also pass state-mandated tests to qualify for a New York certificate. Consult the NYSED’s Preparation Pathways guide to learn about the exact requirements for licensure in each subject area.

For Graduates

The typical path to New York educator licensure for college graduates entails enrolling in an approved educator preparation program that includes an internship at a K-12 public school. Individuals pursuing this option can focus on a specific area of education, such as special education, to earn an endorsement on their certificate.

License Types

The NYSED issues several types of certificates and licenses to educators. Entry-level candidates apply for the five-year Initial Certificate, while experienced classroom teachers who have completed an approved path of professional development qualify for the five-year Professional Certificate. The NYSED also awards several types of temporary and emergency certificates for candidates who do not meet all requirements for their subject area, including a Conditional Initial Certificate, an Internship Certificate, a Supplementary Certificate and several categories of Transitional Certificates.

Reciprocity

Educators who have teaching degrees and licenses from other states can apply to the NYSED for interstate reciprocity, with a few stipulations. These candidates must have completed teacher preparation coursework and earned any certificates through an approved program that is equivalent to a New York Teacher preparation program. In some cases, an educator can replace the certification requirement with three years of classroom teaching experience. Candidates who completed preparation programs but do not hold a license can apply for reciprocity after passing state-mandated exams. The NYSED grants qualified out-of-state candidates reciprocity in the following categories of special education:

Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2)

Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6)

Students with Disabilities (Grades 7-12 Generalist)

Candidates who earned degrees and licenses outside of the United States can apply for reciprocity as well. They must submit notarized copies of their credentials directly to the NYSED for analysis of equivalency as determined by the Office of Teaching Initiatives. Applicants must also pass state-mandated exams. The Preparation Pathways guide to Individual Evaluation of Non-U.S. Credentials summarizes the guidelines for applying.

Graduate Programs

Hunter’s focus is making sure graduates are able to find employment in New York classrooms shortly after graduation. The Teacher’s College offers several master’s programs through their Department of Applied Sciences of Learning and Special Education. Interviews are required for admission. At NYU, you may concentrate in early childhood special education or childhood special education, grades 1-6. For admission, the university requires that you have certain core liberal-arts courses listed on your undergraduate transcript, including English, math, natural science, and a foreign language. Syracuse’s Master of Science in Special Education can be completed in just over a year. Syracuse requires that you have some experience working with young people when you apply.

Alternatives to Certification

The NYSED’s alternative preparation program webpage describes its ideal candidate as a professional seeking a career change. Participants engage in an accelerated training program and enter classrooms with paid teaching positions as they continue with their coursework and receive mentoring and support from both the school district and the college at which they study. Subsets of this alternative pathway include Transitional B for candidates with bachelor’s degrees and Transitional C for those who hold graduate or professional degrees. The New York City Department of Education website lists several additional alternative licensure programs for people interested in working in the city’s schools with the highest need and in teacher shortage areas. For example, the New York City Teaching Residency is for those who want to teach in low-performing secondary schools, while NYC Teaching Fellows recruits and prepares educators to fill slots in teacher shortage subject areas, which include special education.

Special Education Teaching Jobs in New York

Public schools

The NYSED’s website provides links to job banks that post openings for New York educators, both statewide and in New York City.

Private schools

The NYSED provides a list of approved schools (including private, special act, state-operated and state-supported schools) in New York that offer special education programs.